And here I take off my headphones in respect and awe to this, also to hear the one thing that's been battering since that night:

Truth.

Sad, that I didn't grasp so much meaning from it as I should have. Sad, that my parents didn't really seem to like it.

Sad, that I don't know where it is now. Probably in Singapore.

I was yearning for Brokeback Mountain and I didn't know I'd already watched the Eastern version. I don't want to laugh at this and anyway, it wouldn't be appropriate.

I didn't know what to expect and therefore did not catch the entire gist (see Papa that's why you should always do your research first).

I did not catch the beautiful meaning behind it all.

I had to rely on a thread to realize, 'oh my God, what a thing it must've been to realize this whilst watching the movie.'

...Everyone.

Go.

Watch.

It.

Now.


-


I like this part. I like how she/he interprets it all as a happy ending. And I also like how she's unfurled each character, how they all achieve what they've wanted in the end.

(excerpt)

Jang-saeng
Why does he go to Han-yang (Seoul)? Because he wants to put on the best and biggest show ever. Why does he invite trouble by satirizing the king? Because he wants to make more money.

Why doesn't he leave the palace, after clashing with the court ministers and nearly being chased out? Because Cheo-sun told him that he dares to satirize the king, yet doesn't have the guts to satirize the ministers.

Concerning Gong-gil, he obviously has many doubts and questions. Why doesn't he clearly ask him? Because of feelings that he dares not utter.

Jang-saeng's initial desires were not to be starved or be bullied. When do his ambitions become so grand and numerous? They become big enough to hoodwink him and blind him to what he really wants.

Gong-gil
Why does he silently abide by whatever Jang-saeng says? Because he is used to Jang-saeng providing for and protecting him. With Jang-saeng taking care of everything, he does not have to think or worry about anything.

Why doesn't he leave when Jang-saeng wants to leave the palace? Because he is unable to let go of Yeon-san. For the first time, he feels intensively needed and able to protect others, as he has always been protected.

Underlying those acquiescing footsteps is his deep attachment to Jang-saeng. Holding him back is a king's tear. Innocent as he is, Gong-gil's eyes hold affection for his Jang-saeng and only sympathy for the king.

Yeon-san
Why does he lose control when he is with Gong-gil? Because of the Oedipal complex he feels for his mother through Gong-gil.

Why doesn't he let Gong-gil go when the young man wants to leave the palace? Because he is the king and nothing is unobtainable for him.

Yet, even with absolute power, he still cannot gain the one thing which he is doomed never to have - maternal love, warmth, freedom.

Other than power, Yeon-san has nothing in this world. (Yes, I will repeat that sentence again because I want to and need to: Other than power, Yeon-san has nothing in this world.)

Nok-soo
Why does she want Gong-gil dead? Because she thinks Gong-gil is out to seize the king from her.

This is a woman who has crawled from the gloomiest corner to where she is today, experiencing pains that only she knows. Thus, her jealousy knows no bounds, even if it causes her to self-immolate.


Every one of them has been hoodwinked. Desire, ambition, money, love, power, jealousy has clouded their eyes. Unable to see what they really want, blind as to what they can hold onto until tragedy strikes - until Jang-saeng is blinded and Gong-gil attempts suicide. Only then do they clearly see themselves and others.

Jang-saeng says, "If this is the taste of being blinded, I should have been blinded a long time ago." Only when he is blinded does he realize that all he ever wanted was to be together and to live a simple life with Gong-gil.

When Jang-saeng is blinded, Gong-gil finally understands that the one person he cannot live without is Jang-saeng. It is not the king and never was.

When Gong-gil attempts suicide, the king realizes how important Jang-saeng is to Gong-gil. No matter how much power one has, that power cannot hold back another person's heart. Gong-gil is not his mother and has never belonged to him. The only one who is still willing to stay by his side is Nok-soo.

When Gong-gil attempts suicide, Nok-soo realizes that Gong-gil never thought of taking the king away from her. All he ever really wants is to be with Jang-saeng - to live together, or to die together. Her envy is totally unfounded.

Every one of them has experienced sorrow and joy, and in the end recognizes themselves and their needs. At the end of the movie, Jang-saeng and Gong-gil make a pact to be together in their next lives, while Yeon-san and Nok-soo are by each other's side until the end. They have grasped happiness that they can have and be had in their own ways. That, in my opinion, is a happy ending.












And I can now say that I have watched Brokeback Mountain with all certainty.